


Mates

by cathcer1984



Series: Sheriff finds Out [19]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mates, Past Peter Hale/OFC, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 02:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21438457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cathcer1984/pseuds/cathcer1984
Summary: Peter and Stiles finally havethatconversation.
Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Sheriff finds Out [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539115
Comments: 3
Kudos: 297





	Mates

**Author's Note:**

> More info about warnings in the end notes.
> 
> Because I'm nice, and not at all impatient, you can have the last sections today.

Peter isn't sure which conversation is worse. The one he's about to have with Stiles. Or the one he had with Anita after she'd heard about Talia and Andrew being mates, leaving Peter to explain that while he loved her and married her, she wasn't his mate. 

The scent of Stiles' anxiety is sour and overwhelming, so much so that it's a relief to pull into the Sheriff's driveway and get out of the car. 

Once they're inside Peter sits on the couch next to Stiles. "Do you want to let go?" 

Stiles frowns so Peter shakes their hands a little. "No," Stiles answers slowly. "I don't think so." 

With a small nod Peter begins. "I think you need some context." Then he stops, swallows hard and looks at the man before him. Stiles is beautiful and strong and he's Peter's _mate_. And fucking Derek has given him the wrong idea of what that means. 

"I love you, Stiles." 

"I know, babe. I know you do. I love you too, Peter." Stiles' expression is pure worry, his scent is sour and he holds onto Peter's fingers even tighter. 

"Before the fire I had a wife, Anita. She was a human from a Wyoming Pack. We met, fell in love and got married." 

"She was pregnant." Stiles says quietly, eyes on the floor. Peter frowns at him, unsure of how he knows that. Stiles shrugs one shoulder uncomfortably, "I read the case file it was in the-" he stops but Peter knows he was about say 'autopsy report'.

"She was pregnant. It was a girl. Makes the Malia-situation that much harder to swallow. Two daughters I never really had." Peter sighs rubbing his free hand over his face. "Anita was my wife but she wasn't my mate. I'd had to have that conversation with her, that I loved her as man should love his wife but not as a werewolf does his mate. She was devastated, heartbroken. She went back to Wyoming for a couple months. She had only just come back the night of the fire." 

"Peter." Stiles looks so sad. His face is the picture of anguished. Peter hates that he's put that there. When Stiles squeezes his hand, Peter realises the look on his face is for Peter, not because of him. He's sad for what Peter has lost.

"From what you said I assume Derek implied that you and I are mates." 

Stiles nods. "He said because I know the Hale boundary line, I'm a Hale mate. He didn't imply it, he outright said it. That you and I are mates."

"That's not true, strictly speaking." Peter is feeling shaky, he doesn't want to say this next bit. "Humans don't tend to have mates, but with your Spark you might feel something, similar or different, I'm not sure. " Peter takes a deep breath and meets Stiles' eyes."You are my mate, that doesn't mean I'm yours."

"I thought..." Stiles trails off. Peter knows exactly what he thought, what he was lead to believe. "Derek said I'm not bound by the same feelings. That your wolf and human have accepted me. That it- _I_ was a choice you made, that you chose me. Is that wrong?" 

Peter is surprised. "That is rather accurate. I assumed he had told you that mates were predetermined and if you're a werewolf's mate it's for life and there's little choice in it for either party." 

"Why would he tell me that?" 

"Because that it was Derek believed as a child. He though Paige was his mate and that if she was a werewolf she would feel it too. I tried to help him but I wasn't really paying attention, not as much as I should have. He took my sarcasm as advice, found another Alpha and Paige ended up dead." Peter still hates that she died unnecessarily. "Then he thought Kate was his mate. He asked me once of werewolves could have two mates. It's impossible, I'm ashamed to say that I laughed at him." Peter shakes his head at the memory. "He must have started to distrust me then." 

"Derek said it was what his mom had told him." Stiles says gently. 

Peter starts nodding. "He would have gone to Talia after my response."

"What does it feel like?" Stiles asks. "Having a mate?" 

"It's strange. It doesn't magically make me love you, it doesn't mean I don't get annoyed by you." Peter strokes the backs of her fingers over Stiles' cheek, smiling softly. "I walked into this knowing who you are, I chose to fall in love with you with my eyes wide open. It does mean I can feel it when you get seriously hurt."

"Your wolf and your human side agree that I'm good enough." 

"Oh darling, if one of us isn't good enough in this relationship it isn't you." Peter wants to kiss Stiles but he restrains himself. "That's not a good description. There is no wolf side and human side. It's just me. It's like saying there is a gay side and straight side to me, there isn't I am bisexual. Just as I am a werewolf. You appeal to me because of factors outside of your gender. Some reasons more animal driven than others, like your scent and how your heartbeat sounds. However your humour, your intelligence, your loyalty, those are reasons that I love you, I would still love you for those if I weren't a werewolf. Do you understand that?" 

"Yes. I think so." Stiles pries his hand out of Peter's grasp. He closes his eyes, presumably to brace for the pain. 

Peter waits, he's impatient though, always has been. "I should let you think through this." 

"No, don't go yet. Derek said that after you find your mate you lose interest in others." The 'yet' hurts Peter but he answers Stiles anyway.

"That is mostly true. I believe over time and distance and after the death of a mate a werewolf can find joy and attraction in another person. It's difficult to say, there aren't enough werewolves around that are able to have a mate, nor would they willingly part." 

Stiles is quiet. Peter watches him carefully, greedily, if this is going to be the last time he can see Stiles like this he's going to take it all in. 

It's a long time before Stiles speaks. "It feels like stepping out into the sunshine after winter. Heat on your skin, warming you from the inside out. I feel warm and content when I'm with you. I want to bask in the feeling all the time. I want to be near you so I can feel like that." Stiles smiles at Peter. "You're still an insufferable know it all with mild OCD and you make me so mad sometimes."

Peter laughs. 

"That sound like being a mate to you?" Stiles smirks. 

"Sums it up quite nicely, love." Peter reclines back and relaxes on the couch. "Now come here."

"We are not having sex on the.couch." Stiles says even as he's moving so he's on top of Peter, between his legs, head on Peter's chest.

"I didn't know that was an option." Peter jumps as Stiles pinches his side. "I just want to hold you, sweetheart, breathe you in. Besides your dad will be here soon and I don't want to be arrested. I've had a hard few days you know."

"Oh really?" Peter just knows he's rolling his eyes. "Do tell. I would so like to hear it all."

"In great detail." 

"Of course." 

They start to laugh. Peter kisses Stiles on his hair and runs a hand up and down his back, before taking his pain again. "Man, I'd stay with you forever just because of that. It's better than morphine."

"Because I am removing your pain, not masking it." Peter rolls his eyes, "honestly I thought you were smart." 

"Super smart," Stiles snarks. "Smart enough to know..." Peter closes his eyes and soon enough falls asleep to Stiles blabbering on about how he's smarter than Peter or the Pack or the rest of the population of the world, he's not entirely sure.

**Author's Note:**

> Peter talks about his wife and how she was pregnant when she died in the fire. Stiles knows this because he read the autopsy report.
> 
> [And yep, click here for more from me.](https://cathcer1984.tumblr.com/)


End file.
